Who: Ford USA
What: An electric version of our favourite ute
When: 2027
Why: Because EVs still represent a future opportunity
If you’re the kind of person that thinks a ute with anything less than six-cylinders is meek, you may want to stop reading. Ford has all-but-confirmed that an electric version of Australia’s favourite ute is headed our way by the end of the decade.
An all-new Ford Ranger Lightning, built on a bespoke electric vehicle platform, is under development by a “skunkworks” in California, far from Ford’s traditional home in Detroit. This special division was created in 2022 with the specific purpose of thinking outside Ford’s traditional methods in order to better compete against the likes of Tesla and the rising Chinese EV industry.
READ MORE: Ford reveals more on electric Ranger
“We recruited the most technically skilled and creative professionals from inside and outside Ford to drive a radical change in how we develop an electric vehicle,” said Ford CEO, Jim Farley in a recent briefing about the project. “The work of this highly talented team has evolved into a critical enabler of our electric vehicle strategy. These electric vehicles will be lower cost, and not compromised in any way.”
The first product will be a new “mid-size electric pickup” launching in the second half of 2027, which will likely carry the Ranger Lightning name. It will be built at the BlueOval City factory in Tennessee and utilise the next-generation of lower-cost batteries and other EV technology in order to be a cheaper, more competitive product.
READ MORE: Official details of the Ford Ranger PHEV
This news comes after Ford has teased an electric version of the Ranger for years, as part of an expanded line-up of EVs under its Model E banner. Back in 2022 Ford’s global chief financial officer, John Lawler, told media (including Torquecafe) that the Thailand factory that builds the Australian-bound Ranger and Everest models is going to be a “hub for manufacturing zero-emission vehicles.”
A plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger is already confirmed and will be on sale in Australia in 2025; with pricing and specifications to be announced closer to its showroom arrival. It’s all part of a broader plan from Ford to cut emissions from its vehicles but still retain a focus on its popular utes and SUVs, rather than try and shift its customers to different, smaller models.
What do you think – is an electric powertrain the way to futureproof the ute or a bad idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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